Cafes paying extra for avocados amid national shortage

The New Year has brought bad news for avocado lovers, with a change in seasons and a delay in the fruit hitting store shelves causing major shortages nationally.

Despite punter demand for avocados currently running at a high, the lack of avocados has seen some cafes reportedly paying three-times the price for the popular food - with boxes reportedly costing up to $89 each.

Benjiman Siven, a barista at Raw Espresso on the Gold Coast, told 9NEWS the price hike is enough for his cafe to temporarily take avocado off the menu altogether.

Avocado stocks around the country have hit a low recently and cafe customers are now being affected (Supplied). ()

"Unfortunately, for the avo punters, it's not very good for them. They're missing out on the avo smash and the avocado on toast," he said.

The hiatus is also an issue for the Paradox Coffee Roasters cafe, which said it is already charging its customers as much as it possibly can for the fruit without driving them away.

"We couldn't possibly charge any more, but it does cost us six dollars every time someone orders a side of avocado," manager Sophia Kemp said.

"It's one of our main dishes that we sell so it's very important that we don't hurt any locals or impact on any of our customers... It's sad but definitely not a deal breaker for us."

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Avocado relief is on the way however, with prices expected to ease and production to grow heading into February according to one producer. For farmer David Freeman, it speed at which avocado becomes more available depends on how quickly growers can harvest.

"Depending on how many Shepards come on the market, the price will ease definitely and I'd say by mid-February, the prices will be back to normal," he said.